In the following examples, we assume you already have a miniconda3 module already loaded.

Existing Conda environments can be cloned (essentially copied).

[]$ conda create --help
...
options:
...
  --clone ENV           Create a new environment as a copy of an existing local environment.
...

[]$ conda create -p py_env2 --clone py_env
Retrieving notices: ...working... done
Source:      /home/<username>/.conda/envs/py_env
Destination: /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2
Packages: 39
Files: 1
...
#
# To activate this environment, use
#     $ conda activate /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2

Notice: The source (environment being cloned) and the destination (new cloned environment) are listed.

In the above, we are using the -p option so the destination is within the current working directory, and cloning from an existing environment that was created within the default environment location - so only its name (not absolute path) is required.

Notice how you need to activate/use this cloned environment:

[]$ cat ~/.conda/environments.txt
/home/<username>/.conda/envs/py_env
/project/<project-name>/<username>/conda/envs/r_env
/cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/slim_env_4.2.2
/cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2


[]$ conda info --env
# conda environments:
#
base                     /apps/u/opt/linux/miniconda3/24.3.0
                         /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2
                         /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/slim_env_4.2.2
py_env                   /home/<username>/.conda/envs/py_env
r_env                    /project/<project-name>/<username>/conda/envs/r_env

Need to define the full path to activate.

[]$ conda activate /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2
(/cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/py_env2) []$ 

The env sub-command provides the a process that can be used to export into a readable text file a description of the entire Conda environment that can then used to create (essentially import) to replicate.

[]$ conda env --help
usage: conda env [-h] command ...

positional arguments:
  command
    config    Configure a conda environment.
    create    Create an environment based on an environment definition file.
    export    Export a given environment
    list      List the Conda environments.
    remove    Remove an environment.
    update    Update the current environment based on environment file.

options:
  -h, --help  Show this help message and exit.

Within an active environment we can export into a readable file a description of the entire Conda environment. This describes all the system related libraries as well as anything that that was explicitly conda install-ed.

[]$ conda activate r_env
(r_env) []$ conda env export > r_env.yml
(r_env) []$ conda deactivate

[]$ cat r_env.yml
name: r_env
channels:
  - conda-forge
  - defaults
dependencies:
  - _libgcc_mutex=0.1=main
...
  - zstd=1.5.5=hc292b87_2
prefix: /project/<project-name>/<username>/conda/envs/r_env

Using the env create sub-command we can then define a file to read/import that describes the environment we want to create - essentially cloning it.

[]$ cd /project/<project-name>/<username>/software/
[]$ conda env create -p r_env2 --file r_env.yml
...
#
# To activate this environment, use
#
#     $ conda activate /cluster/medbow/project/<project-name>/<username>/software/r_env2
...